Electric motor-powered furniture drive

The present invention relates to an electric motor-powered furniture drive with at least one electric motor, at least one interface via which the electric motor-powered furniture drive can be connected, preferably releasably, to a mechanical actuating drive, and at least one identification device for the automatic identification of a configuration of the mechanical actuating drive. In addition, the invention relates to a furniture drive system for a movable furniture part, in particular for a furniture flap in the form of a bi-fold lift flap, an up and over lift flap or a lift up flap type of furniture flap, with such an electric motor-powered furniture drive and a mechanical actuating drive. Furthermore, the invention relates to a piece of furniture with such a furniture drive system and a method for operating the furniture drive system.

Furniture drive systems with actuating arm devices have been used for many decades to move furniture flaps which are rotatable or pivotable about a horizontal axis or are displaceable along a vertical plane. Examples of such furniture fittings follow from WO 2012/155165 A2 and WO 2011/020130 A1.

In addition, furniture drive systems are known in which these systems have two assemblies that are separate from each other, namely a mechanical actuating drive (comprising an energy storage mechanism) and an electric motor-powered furniture drive. Examples of this follow from EP 3 443 197 B1 and AT 519 935 A1.

In the case of such furniture drive systems it is important that the same systems can be used equally in the case of movable furniture parts of different sizes and weights. For this, individual parameters (e.g. force) of the drive device (comprises the energy storage mechanism and optionally a damping device) and/or of the electric motor can be set via the setting devices.

In the case of the earlier furniture drive systems it can come about that the effect emanating from the drive device is not compatible with the driven movable furniture part. In some cases this can result in damage to the movable furniture part or even in accidents with a person actuating the movable furniture part.

In order to prevent incorrect inputs of operating parameters, an electric motor-powered furniture flap drive which has an identification device for the automatic identification of the type of furniture flap of the furniture flap drive from the possible types of furniture flap of bi-fold lift flap, up and over lift flap and lift up flap is known from EP 2 315 897 B1. This identification device is connected to a travel measuring device, by which the travel that can be covered by the actuating arm between its two end positions can be ascertained, wherein the identification apparatus identifies the type of flap in dependence on the measurement result of the travel measuring device.

A disadvantage of this state of the art is that, for the identification, the entire furniture flap drive needs to be assembled and also a movement of the actuating arm already needs to be carried out. It can thus occur that, in the case of incompatible assemblies or component parts, damage or undesired movements that are dangerous for a user already occur during the testing or identification movement.

The object of the present invention is therefore to avoid these problems. In particular, the identification of the configuration is to be simplified.

Accordingly, the at least one identification device is arranged on the at least one interface of the electric motor-powered furniture drive at least in regions, with the result that the configuration of the mechanical actuating drive can be identified when the electric motor-powered furniture drive is connected to the mechanical actuating drive. The connection is thus already sufficient to carry out the identification successfully. No movement of the furniture drive components needs to be effected.

According to a preferred embodiment, a control device is provided with which the electric motor can be controlled. Preferably this control device is integrated in a housing of the electric motor-powered furniture drive. For example, this control device can have a printed circuit board and a microprocessor arranged thereon as well as optionally further circuit components.

Furthermore, preferably several data sets relating to different configurations of the mechanical actuating drive are stored in the control device, preferably in a storage device.

Various sensors, via which a parameter of the mechanical actuating drive can be detected, can be used for the identification device. For example, pressure sensitive mats, contact springs, micro push buttons, magnetic proximity sensors, magnetic angle sensors or capacitive angle sensors can be used for tactile recognition.

It is particularly preferable that the identification device can carry out a comparison of the parameter detected by the sensor with the data sets and identify the current configuration of the mechanical actuating drive, wherein, via the control device, control signals can be output to the electric motor depending on the current configuration of the mechanical actuating drive identified via the identification device.

These control signals can then be used to be able to output operating parameters appropriate for the configuration during operation. The electric motor can therefore be actuated appropriately for the mechanical actuating drive.

The interface should be formed such that a secure but nevertheless releasable connection between the electric motor-powered furniture drive and the mechanical actuating drive is possible in a simple manner. It is particularly preferably provided that the interface has a substantially flat connecting plate—preferably oriented along a vertical plane in the installed state—and connecting elements arranged on the connecting plate for the releasable connection of the electric motor-powered furniture drive to connecting counterpieces formed on the mechanical actuating drive.

For the specific design of the identification device, there is the possibility that a recognition of the configuration is effected via RFID modules or radio modules.

It is particularly preferable that the identification device has at least one mechanical tracer element, which is rotatably mounted on the at least one interface.

Through at least one rotatable tracer element—for example in interaction with a corresponding tracer element counterpiece such as a tracing surface—a large number of different configurations and/or parameters can be coded compactly and with a small number of component part components (such as for example via a rotary slide, which decodes or represents a large number of specific configurations and/or parameters through—in particular equidistantly arranged—regions, associated with them, of the rotatable tracer element and/or the tracer element counterpiece).

For a simpler and less expensive design, however, the identification device has at least one mechanical tracer element, which rests against at least one tracer element counterpiece of the mechanical actuating drive, representing a parameter of the mechanical actuating drive, in the case of connection between the electric motor-powered furniture drive and the mechanical actuating drive provided via the interface.

In order to enable a reliable and meaningful identification via this mechanical tracer element it is preferable that the at least one mechanical tracer element is movably, preferably rotatably or displaceably, mounted on the at least one interface.

According to a first variant, the rotatably mounted tracer element is rotatable about an axis of rotation—preferably oriented at right angles to the vertical plane, wherein the rotatably mounted tracer element has a tracing surface that faces away from the interface and is inclined relative to the axis of rotation, preferably by an angle of between 30° and 60°.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the inclined tracing surface has a tracing line closest to the interface, lying on the tracing surface and leading away from the axis of rotation, and a tracing line furthest from the interface, lying on the tracing surface and leading away from the axis of rotation.

In addition, the tracing line closest to the interface and the tracing line furthest from the interface are 180° apart from each other starting from the axis of rotation.

A surface, which is substantially oval in a top view and can slide along the tracer element counterpiece, lies between these two tracing lines.

For a reliable identification even in the case of imprecise assembly of the furniture drive and of the actuating drive, it is particularly preferable that the tracing line furthest from the interface also forms a tracing lug that can be moved into the tracer element counterpiece.

Protection is also sought for a furniture drive system for a movable furniture part, in particular for a furniture flap in the form of a bi-fold lift flap, an up and over lift flap or a lift up flap type of furniture flap, with an electric motor-powered furniture drive according to the invention and a mechanical actuating drive.

The mechanical actuating drive of the furniture drive system preferably has the following essential components:

Furthermore, it is preferable that the electric motor-powered furniture drive is implemented as an assembly formed separately from the mechanical actuating drive and these can be connected or are connected to each other via the interface.

In order to enable a transmission of movement between the assemblies, it is preferable that the electric motor-powered furniture drive has a driver, which can be driven by the at least one electric motor, for transmitting a torque of the electric motor to the actuating arm device of the mechanical actuating drive.

With respect to the configuration of the mechanical actuating drive, there are various properties essential to the operation. Two particularly important properties are the type of furniture flap and the power factor of the energy storage mechanism. If, for example, there are three different configurations in each case, then this results in a total of nine different combinations.

Accordingly, the configuration of the mechanical actuating drive can preferably be selected from the group: actuating drive for the bi-fold lift flap type of furniture flap, actuating drive for the up and over lift flap type of furniture flap and actuating drive for the lift up flap type of furniture flap. In addition (or alternatively) it can be provided that the configuration of the mechanical actuating drive is selected from a group of mechanical actuating drives which are constructed substantially identical and differ from each other, preferably only, by a power factor of the energy storage mechanism.

With respect to the power factor, it can be mentioned that there are, for example, energy storage mechanisms with a high force, with a medium force and with a low force.

With respect to the types of furniture flap, the following may be mentioned:

There are furniture flaps, which have become known as stay lift flaps for example, in which the flap is fastened to the underside of the cabinet top by means of hinges.

Furthermore, there are flaps implemented in two parts, wherein a first partial flap is pivotably connected to the furniture carcass and a second partial flap is pivotably connected to the first partial flap. When transferring the flap into the open position, the first partial flap is pivoted upwards away from the furniture carcass, wherein the second partial flap is pivoted, likewise upwards, towards the furniture carcass, with the result that the flap is folded together in the open position (bi-fold lift flap).

In the case of up and over lift flaps the flap is pivoted towards the back over the furniture carcass.

If the flap performs a movement substantially parallel to the front side of the furniture carcass preferably during its entire opening and closing travel, then it is called a lift up flap.

This terminology is also to be retained in the context of the present invention, wherein the enumeration of the different types of furniture flap (and also of the power factors and optionally other identifiable actuating drive parameters) is not to be understood as exhaustive.

It is preferable that the energy storage mechanism is formed in order to compensate for a weight force of the actuating arm device and of the furniture part that can be connected to the actuating arm device and/or in order to move the actuating arm device in the direction of a fully closed position and/or in order to move the actuating arm device in the direction of a fully open position. Thus, the movable furniture part can be opened as far as a certain angular position, in which the movable furniture part then remains in a state balanced by the actuating arm device and the energy storage mechanism.

In addition to the energy storage mechanism, the mechanical actuating drive has a damping device, with which a closing movement and/or an opening movement of the actuating arm device can be damped. A smooth closing and opening, above all reaching the respective end position softly, is thus made possible.

In general, it is preferable that the actuating arm device is movable between a first maximum position, which corresponds to the closed position between movable furniture part and furniture carcass, and a second maximum position, which corresponds to the maximum open position of the movable furniture part relative to the furniture carcass.

In principle, it is possible that the damping device damps the entire movement path of the actuating arm device. However, it is preferable that the damping via the damping device is effected in a portion of the movement of the movable furniture part upstream of the closed position and the maximum open position.

Specifically, the (respectively) upstream movement portion can correspond to a pivoting angle range of the actuating arm device (and thus indirectly of the movable furniture part) of between 2° and 25°, preferably between 5° and 15°.

For a transmission and conversion of movement within the electric motor-powered furniture drive, a gear mechanism can be provided between the electric motor and the driver.

With respect to this gear mechanism, it is preferable that it comprises at least two gear stages, a freewheel clutch and/or an overload clutch.

A transmission and conversion of movement is also advantageous in the region of the mechanical actuating drive, wherein a transmission mechanism is preferably provided, with which the force of the energy storage mechanism can be transmitted to the actuating arm device.

In order to enable a pulling-to and opening movement of the actuating arm device, it is preferable that the transmission mechanism has a control cam and a pressure roller loaded by the energy storage mechanism, wherein the pressure roller can be moved along the control cam during a movement of the at least one actuating arm.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the actuating arm device has a movably mounted actuator for the transmission of a force from the energy storage mechanism to the actuating arm.

In order to connect or to link the mechanical actuating drive to the electric motor-powered furniture drive, it is preferable that the actuator has a transmission opening, in which the driver that is drivable by the electric motor engages or can engage.

Protection is also sought for a piece of furniture with a furniture carcass, at least one furniture part that is movable, in particular about a horizontal axis, in particular in the form of a bi-fold lift flap, lift up flap or up and over lift flap, and a furniture drive system according to the invention.